Wizards resume western jaunt against Lakers

(SportsNetwork.com) - The Washington Wizards were able to avoid losing three straight games the last time out and will resume a four-game western road trip Tuesday against the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center.

The Wizards dropped their second straight game with a loss at Portland on Saturday in the opener of the swing, then bounced back the next day with a 117-115 overtime triumph against Denver.

Kris Humphries stepped up his game to the tune of 21 points and 14 rebounds, and scored four early points in the extra session. Paul Pierce scored 19 points and John Wall supplied 19 points to go along with 16 assists for 24 double-doubles.

"We made plays when it counted," Humphries said.

Nene and Bradley Beal scored 14 points apiece for the Wizards, who made 53.3 percent for the game and improved to 12-9 away from DC. The Wizards will wrap up the trek Wednesday against the Phoenix Suns.

Washington will play four games in five days and is 24-1 when holding opponents under 100 points this season. The Wizards are 8-0 on the road when giving up less than 100 points.

Wall is averaging 18.3 points in his last four games and Pierce is posting 15.5 ppg in that span. Pierce is 30 points shy of tying Alex English (25,613) for 15th on the NBA's all-time scoring list.

The Lakers are mired in an eight-game losing streak and opened a three-game homestand with Sunday's 99-87 loss to the Houston Rockets.

Carlos Boozer scored 18 points and Jeremy Lin added 14 for the Lakers, who were held under 90 points for the fifth time in the last seven games. Wayne Ellington had 13 points and Jordan Hill added 10 and seven rebounds in the loss.

Los Angeles was in a hole at 30-15 following the first 12 minutes and played tough over the next three quarters, but the first stanza was too much to overcome. The Lakers shot 43 percent and committed 21 turnovers for 21 Houston points.

The Lakers will be without the services of guard Kobe Bryant for the remainder of the season, as he will undergo surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder.

A timetable for Bryant's recovery won't be known until after Wednesday morning's procedure. Bryant suffered the injury in last Wednesday's 96-80 loss at New Orleans.

Bryant could be facing a third consecutive season-ending injury. He suffered a torn Achilles tendon in April 2013 and a broken bone in his knee last season.

The 36-year-old Bryant averaged 22.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.6 assists in 35 games this season.

With Bryant's absence, the Lakers will look to see more production out of reserve Nick Young, but that wasn't the case on Sunday.

"I felt with his body language that I didn't want to play him," Lakers coach Byron Scott said of Young, who went 0-for-2 from the field in just under 8 1/2 minutes off the bench.

LA is 6-6 against the East (4-2 at home) and will close the homestand Thursday versus the Chicago Bulls. It is 6-16 as the host in 2014-15.

The Wizards topped the Lakers, 111-95, on Dec. 3 at the Verizon Center and were led by Beal's 27 points. Marcin Gortat added 21 points and 11 rebounds, while Bryant was healthy at the time and finished with 29 points.

Washington defeated Los Angeles twice last season and has won four straight and five of the last six matchups between the teams. Los Angeles has lost two straight at home in this series.